7-Day Japanese Alps & Historic Villages: Takayama, Shirakawa-go & Kamikochi

Tour Overview

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Arrive Nagoya

Welcome to central Japan! Airport pickup. Evening visit to Nagoya Castle and the Osu Shopping District. Try hitsumabushi (grilled eel on rice) — Nagoya’s signature dish. Overnight in Nagoya.

Day 2: Takayama — Little Kyoto

Scenic train to Takayama, nestled in the Japanese Alps. Explore the beautifully preserved Sanmachi Suji — Edo-period merchant district with sake breweries (free tastings!), traditional shops, and old wooden houses. Visit the Takayama Jinya — the only surviving Edo-period government building. Morning markets along the Miya River. Overnight in Takayama.

Day 3: Shirakawa-go — UNESCO Gassho Village

Bus to Shirakawa-go (UNESCO) — one of Japan’s most magical places. The iconic gassho-zukuri farmhouses with their steep thatched roofs (shaped like hands in prayer) dot a mountain valley. Visit the Wada House (largest gassho) and climb to the Ogimachi Viewpoint for the classic postcard panorama. Stay overnight in a traditional gassho farmhouse for a truly authentic experience — sleeping on futons, dining by the irori hearth. Overnight in Shirakawa-go.

Day 4: Kamikochi — Japan’s Alpine Gem

Journey to Kamikochi — a pristine alpine valley in the Northern Japan Alps (open mid-April to mid-November, 1,500m). Walk the gentle trails along the crystal-clear Azusa River with the majestic Hotaka Mountains reflected in Taisho Pond. The iconic Kappa Bridge with Mount Hotaka as backdrop. Spot Japanese macaques and alpine birds. Overnight in Matsumoto.

Day 5: Matsumoto — Crow Castle

Morning at Matsumoto Castle — Japan’s oldest surviving castle, known as “Crow Castle” for its striking black exterior. Original wooden interiors from 1594. Visit the Matsumoto City Museum of Art (Yayoi Kusama’s hometown). Afternoon at Daio Wasabi Farm — Japan’s largest wasabi farm with watermills in crystal-clear streams (a photographer’s paradise). Overnight in Matsumoto.

Day 6: Nagano — Zenkoji Temple & Snow Monkeys

Drive to Nagano. Visit Zenkoji Temple — one of Japan’s most important Buddhist temples (7th century), housing the first Buddhist statue brought to Japan. Walk the pitch-black underground passage to touch the “key to paradise.” Afternoon: Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park — the world-famous hot-spring-bathing Japanese macaques. Overnight in Nagano.

Day 7: Depart from Nagano/Nagoya

Morning visit to Obuse — charming town of chestnuts and Hokusai’s later works. Transfer to Nagano or Nagoya airport. Safe travels!

Inclusions

• 6 nights: Nagoya, Takayama, Shirakawa-go gassho, Matsumoto, Nagano
• Daily breakfast + 2 dinners (gassho hearth dinner + kaiseki)
• Train Nagoya→Takayama, bus to Shirakawa-go
• Private transfers with English-speaking guide
• Matsumoto Castle, Zenkoji Temple, Snow Monkey Park entries

Why The Japanese Alps

• Shirakawa-go — Japan’s most photogenic village, straight out of a storybook
• Kamikochi — Japan’s most beautiful alpine valley
• Snow monkeys — nowhere else on Earth do monkeys bathe in hot springs
• Takayama — authentic Edo-period Japan without the crowds